Solar a better option"Over the next few years, power from solar energy will become significantly cheaper than natural gas," Jurrien Westerhof, an energy expert for Greenpeace Austria, said in a statement. "With the Nabucco deal, Austria is committing itself for decades to drawing natural gas from supplier countries in the Caspian region, no matter what the price."

The 3,300-kilometer Nabucco pipeline is expected to bring natural gas to Europe from the Caspian Sea and the Middle East. Two-thirds of it will run through Turkey, which has heralded the project as a boon for job creation. Aşıcı took issue with that notion as well.

"Pipes will be laid and infrastructure prepared, which will create temporary employment," he admitted. "But the project will end in a few years. It is more important for the government, at a time when unemployment is so high, to create permanent, environmentally friendly, 'green' jobs. When there is wind and sun, expecting employment from a temporary project is an exercise in futility. It is much more rational to invest in renewable energy."